The Woes of Work Experience
by To Live Forever
Summary: When he finally moved away from the chalk board, I was at last able to see what he had written. Scrawled onto the board, in thick white chalk were the words: ‘Work Experience’ I felt a small frown form upon my face, work experience?


A/N: Ok, So you're probably wondering why I have started a new FF when I haven't completed my other one. Answer to that is I got the idea for this new FF and it refused to leave my mind unless I wrote it up. As for my other FF no, I won't leave it unfinished, it's just I've been finding it rather difficult as of where to go on from my last chapter, but I promise I will update it soon.

**Chapter One**

An arrogant smirk, a suggestive wink and a vulgar comment was all I needed from Patch to put me into a foul frame of mind for the remainder of the school day.

Striding into class on the last bell as usual, he had managed to agitate me by doing all three things in less than a minute. When it came to dampening my mood, Patch was without doubt a pro.

I gave him a look of disdain for his earlier actions, but seemingly immune to it, he in return gave me a second smirk.

"Jerk" I muttered under breath, turning away from him.

I tried to focus on several positives, the main one being that it was the last lesson of the day, and in fact the last lesson of the term. After this hour I would have two glorious weeks to relax and unwind.

No school, no homework and certainly no Patch. _Bliss._

Flipping my notebook to a clean page, I tapped my pencil in time to the ticking of the clock above the door, waiting for the lesson to begin.

Coach, arriving later than usual, bustled into the classroom and immediately went to the chalkboard.

"Class" He said, scribbling something up, though his large build made it impossible to see what it was "You can put your things away. This is only going to be a brief lesson, in which after you can go home and _enjoy _your end-of-term vacation"

The tone in which he had said the word 'enjoy' sounded almost sarcastic, as though he was aware of something that we were not. When he finally moved away from the chalk board, I was at last able to see what he had written. Scrawled onto the board, in thick white chalk were the words:

'**Work Experience'**

I felt a small frown form upon my face, _work experience?_ Surely that could wait until we came back from vacation, couldn't it?

I turned slightly to look at Patch, who had small smile on his face. I then turned back to face coach, who was standing in front of his desk, holding a wooden clipboard.

"Now class, instead of having an actual lesson this period, the Principle has decided that it would better for the teachers to inform all the Grade 11 pupils of the new arrangements. The new arrangements involving your end-of-term vacation"

A hushed murmur went around the room, one of intrigue and interest.

"Do we get a longer vacation?" One student inputted hopefully

"No" Coach answered

"Do we get a shorter vacation?" The same student asked again, with a slightly fearful tone in his voice

"You don't get a vacation full stop"

A cry of outrage erupted from the class. I felt my own jaw drop at Coach's revelation. No Vacation? This couldn't be happening.

"You can't be serious!" moaned one student

"This is illegal!" Said another

"I'm suing!" Whined a third

Coach blew loudly on his whistle to silence the class "Now class, you do have a vacation, what I meant was: Your vacation won't be spent in the conventional manner-"

"How will it be spent then?" Vee called out from the back of the class

"That is a good question Miss Sky, but I would appreciate it if next time you raised your hand instead of calling out"

I didn't have to turn around to know that Vee was probably giving coach one of her infamous scowls; she gave him a lot of those.

"As I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted, you won't be having a normal vacation. You will spend your vacation working-"

"Working?!" Vee called out again, Coach fixed her with another pointed stare.

"Yes, Miss Sky, _working_"

I miserably sunk into my seat with a low sigh. _Brilliant _I thought sadly to myself, my one chance to relax, gone_._

"You've all been appointed to, in pairs, various establishments in Cold Water"

Coach flipped over a page of the clipboard he was holding and began reading out the names on the list

"Sarah Westman, you and James Smith will be working at the public Library"

Sarah and James let out an audible groan. I frowned at their response, I wouldn't mind working in a library. I loved books.

"Sean Knight and Ashley Portman, you two will be working at the paper mill"

"The paper Mill?" Ashley questioned, obviously irritated

"Yes Mr Portman, the paper mill"

"Vee Sky and…"

I sat up eagerly in my seat, praying that I was partnered with Vee. The two weeks wouldn't seem as bad if I was with a good friend.

"…Lucy Turner, you girls are to be working at 'Betsy's Boutique' at the mall"

Vee and Lucy both let out loud squeals of happiness. I turned and fixed Vee with an irritated frown; she in return gave me a small apologetic smile. I turned back to the front of the class, waiting for my name to be called out.

"Patch Cipriano and Nora Grey-"

_What? No!_

The entire class turned to look at me, making me aware that I must've revealed my thoughts out loud.

Blushing a deep crimson, I sunk into my desk, shame and embarrassment gnawing at me.

Coach cleared his throat and read out our names again "Patch Cipriano and Nora Grey, you two will be working at 'The Borderline'. Now Patch it is my understanding that you already have a part-time job there?"

Patch gave a small smirk "Yes Coach" he replied

"Good, so then you'll be able to show Nora the ropes then, won't you?"

Patch looked sideways at me, a devilish grin playing on his lips.

"You bet I will"

I looked in shock from Patch to Coach repeatedly, in an almost cartoon-like fashion.

This couldn't be happening, it just couldn't be.

I was dreaming, yes that was it, I was dreaming. And soon I'd awake to the loud shrill of my alarm clock telling me to get up for school.

I pinched myself to confirm the idea that this was in fact a dream, but yelped in surprise and pain when I felt the sharp sting in my arm instead of feeling nothing.

Patch let out a low chuckle and leaned in towards me.

"You know Nora, this isn't a dream" He whispered into my ear. Goosebumps suddenly appeared on my flesh as I felt his hot breath against my neck.

"I know it's not" I hissed back, moving away from him "This is a nightmare"

Patch laughed again softly and leaned back into his seat. I sat in my seat, in numbed shock as Coach read out the rest of the pairs and their placements.

Squeals of joy and exclamations of "Yes!" entered and exited my ears as well as moans of disappointment and groans of frustration.

I didn't pay attention to them, though. I'd never wanted to switch places with any of my classmates as much as I did right now.

They were fortunate, I wasn't.

I was paired with _him_.

I glanced sideways over at Patch, who was busily doodling something onto his tanned arm. Looking up, he gave me wink as he caught me watching him.

"Jerk" I muttered under my breath for the second time that day.

I couldn't help but feel that I would be using that word a _lot_ over the next two weeks.


End file.
